ChiSox59

Yes, because they are the players who currently slot into those spots? Last I checked there is a 5 man rotation and 9 players in a starting lineup. The Sox aren’t old. Your analysis is wrong and tired.

In fact, I just did the math to prove how stupid this theory of yours is: Sox starting line up average age: 26.7 Twins starting line up average age: 27.40 Sox rotation average age: 28.66 Twins rotation average age: 29.94 Sox lineup + Rotation average age: 27.44 Twins lineup + rotation average age: 28.31 PLEASE STOP SAYING THE SOX ARE OLD.

Who on the Sox of note is old besides Yaz and Lynn? The Sox core is still pretty young. You love pointing out this Sox are old bit, but its pretty misleading when the older players are all role players, several of from 22 won't even be on the 23 roster. Liam is a bit older as well I guess, but he's still plenty productive. Literally every other player of note is under 30, most in the 24-28 range. The Sox core is every bit as young as the Twins core.

I wouldn’t be surprised either and am fine with that plan if you can get something useful for Seby. But just cutting him after his 2022 would be questionable.

I don't really see the need a catcher. Seby was a 2 fWAR player last year in 61 games. He has no options. He's a perfectly fine guy to split time with Grandal, and he's probably more likely to improve under Grifol's tutelage than Yaz. Plus Sox have Perez who is very much a serviceable 3rd string catcher. Now if you could trade Seby for something useful, that's a different story. I am not 100% sold that 2022 production is sustainable, but....you can't just cut him for a backup catcher, imo.

The Twins were worse than the Sox last year and are losing Correa. They are in much worse shape than the Sox as far as 2023 is concerned as we sit today. Of course, they have more $ to spend than we do. Whether you're a believer in the Guardians or not, that team isn't anything special or anything to be overly concerned about, and we know they won't be adding much via FA. I think Sox as we currently sit are still the best team in this division, perhaps by a good distance if the key players stay healthy / get some bouncebacks. I think adding Nimmo + a decent SP (Clevinger works; Heaney maybe) puts the Sox around the same payroll as last year, and makes them considerably better than they sit today. Of course, Nimmo feels like much more of pipedream now than it did a couple months ago with the bidding now apparently in the 6/$140M range, which we all know Sox aren't going to do.

Probably by trading Hendriks for a shitty return.

Fair, but Leury might be the other option. At least Burger can rake LHP. Having Burger and Sheets in AAA is pretty nice luxury.

I think I might prefer to keep Burger as Moncada injury insurance than acquire 1 year of Wong at market value.

If the budget is $200M, go ahead. If it’s $180M, don’t waste the $10M. Go get a LH RF and a decent SP.

Ehh. My estimations are irrelevant. They played really good and inspired baseball the 2nd half. They have a player much better than anyone we have and rock solid pitching. The rest of the position player core outside of Gimenez is pretty meh. I'd wager a guess they don't win over 85 games in 2023.

Depends on what you can get for those guys. I would punt 2023 if it meant we could turn the aforementioned guys into a nice group of players to contribute in 2024 and on, and also help get the team to be a bit more cost controlled. I don't think this team as currently constructed is good enough to do any damage in the playoffs short of perhaps lucking into a WC series win with HFA from winning the division. If they decided to acquire Nimmo, a legit SP and something better than Romy/Yolbert/Sosa for 2B, and get bouncebacks from the guys they need to bounceback, they could be very good. So again, I'd rather see them actually attempt to win. But if they have a hard budget of $180M, that's going to be very hard to do, and in that scenario, I would explore trading the guys with value that aren't controlled beyond 2023/24. I also don't think very highly of the Twins or Guardians.

Also fair. But if the Sox keep all these guys and add on the fringes up to $180M payroll, they're going to be, at worst, in the thick of the ALC race. They aren't trading those guys in July if they're winning the division or within a reasonable distance. That's the thing - this team without any major additions is still plenty good enough to win this division, but they aren't good enough to be anything but a playoff underdog story.

I’d kinda hate to use the TA bullet on Albies. I’d much rather see the Sox actually sign some legit FAs and try to win, but if that’s not in the cards, I am leaning more and more towards selling our expiring assets and doing a reset. It’s so tough to swallow that pill because the division is so winnable the next couple years but Sox could do really really well selling TA, Giolito, Lynn, Hendriks, Graveman, Bummer. Of course it’s punting 2023, but could get some really interesting guys to pair with the remainder of the core in 2024. I feel really dirty having typed that, but if the payroll is maxed at $180M that’s probably the best play.

$22M? Woof.

Man, was I excited when that happened. Little did I think that would be the largest FA signing they’d make during this window.

Nor do we even know if Outman is available. Bellinger is. Outman could also be a AAAA player for all we know. He’s not even a top 100 prospect. You’d think the dude was the next coming of Bryce Harper based on Cali mentioning him every post.

Seems unlikely with Tovar and Johnson both on the staff.

Of course he did.

Ehhh. I’d prefer Boston be gone but he’s a 1B coach. It’s not exactly an earth shattering position.

They’re really nothing alike. At least Bellinger has legitimate value in the field and base paths. Dunn had none.

Yeah I mean, I guess I just need to see it to believe it. If I were Rick I’d underpromise as well. He’s gone the over promise route and he gets skewered for it daily. I don’t really give two shits about what Twitter blowhards like Josh Nelson, Eloy v Wall, NBB and the foodies have to say on the budget. But yeah, if for some reason $180M is the number, may as well trade everyone not named Luis Robert, hope he has a monster season, then trade him too. Because you can’t build a competitive roster with $10M when you have 1 OF and 4 SP, and all the main offensive issues from 22 are still present, less perhaps the best hitter on the team. and fwiw, I don’t really think projecting the same payroll as 2022 should be labeled optimism. I think it’s just the baseline projection until it’s not, despite the meaningless early offseason chatter.

I’d acquire one of the left handed hitting OFs and a SP and go to battle. Might be tough to do with $15M. I will assume Sox will operate with $190-200M payroll until they don’t. Which means they have more like $25-30M to spend. If Sox can only spend $15M this offseason, not only are they their biggest impediment, but they should just trade everyone of value because they aren’t going to win jackshit.

I don’t think 2/$20m is that different from 1/$10m with a $15M team option. I’d take the over on both honestly. I think the team option deal is great because the team gets to reap the rewards for a year or two if he figures it out. Not sure how Aquino and Bellinger are remotely similar. Sox need LH OF bad; Aquino is just a guy that had a really good month on a bad tram. Bellinger may be broken, but he’s over a year younger that Aquino and has an MVP. If Sox could get Belly on @GREEDYproposed deal, I’d jump on it. He slides in third on my OF wish list after Nimmo, and then a large drop to down Conforto.

A little surprised on Mendick, but called this as a possibility right when he got hurt. Shame for Danny.